This story was written by Lake Superior State Athletics. Photo also courtesy of LSSU. Click the AUDIO button to hear the post-game press conference.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.---The Lake Superior State men's basketball team is dancing its way to the Elite Eight after grinding out a 75-62 over the Missouri-St. Louis Tritons in the Midwest Regional Final Tuesday night in Illinois. 

"These guys have earned this," said Head Coach Steve Hettinga. "They stuck with it  and they got it done."

The Tritons got on the board first with a layup inside, but threes from Devin Womack (Ypsilanti, Mich.) and Andy Soma (Traverse City, Mich.) pushed the Lakers to an 8-0 run to take the lead.

Both teams would then go back and forth with the Lakers getting multiple buckets from Tyson Edmondson (Ypsilanti, Mich.). Neither side would give an inch in what was a close battle throughout the entire game, but with under three minutes to play in the opening half, Adam Harakow (Edmonton, Alta.) would go on a 7-0 run by himself to have LSSU ahead 33-31 at the break. 

Kingsley Perkins (Ypsilanti, Mich.) would get things started inside for LSSU, but UMSL would keep fighting, taking a four-point lead with just over 14 minutes remaining. However, threes from Edmondson and Harakow would help put the Lakers back in front as LSSU pressed ahead with an 11-2 run.

The Tritons just would not go away though, keeping the game close, but then, Kendall Smith (Muskegon, Mich.) would hit the biggest shot of his career with a corner three that seized all of the momentum for his team, igniting the Laker faithful as well as his entire bench and forcing a UMSL timeout.

The Lakers would then carry that momentum and not allow any hope of a Triton comeback as they closed out the victory and hoisted the trophy as the 2025 Midwest Regional Champions. 

After the contest, Edmondson, Perkins, and Harakow were named to the 2025 Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team with Edmondson also being selected as the 2025 Midwest Regional Tournament Most Valuable Player after averaging 25 points per game in the tournament.

Edmondson led the Lakers in scoring with 23 points on the night.

Harakow notched 17 points and 10 rebounds for the double-double while Perkins also added a double-double of his own with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Womack rounded out the double-figure scoring for LSSU with 12 points. 

"I'm definitely enjoying the journey right now," said Perkins. "I'm just grateful that we have another opportunity to keep playing together."

The Lakers will now turn their attention to their Elite Eight matchup in Evansville, Ind. where they will face No. 3 seed Dallas Baptist (DBU) on Tuesday, March 25 with tipoff scheduled for 1 p.m.